So eager were the sweat-drenched racers winding down a slender flight of stairs to reach the man waiting at the bottom, they didn’t bother to catch their breath and gladly trotted past a tempting water fountain.

When the athletes had descended the final stair at Cherokee Mills Fitness Center, some briefly sank down and pulled the back of their ankles, bringing their chests toward their knees. Some paused further, whipping a bead of sweat dangling from their brows.

But all continued toward a man trying to control his floppy bangs as he energetically bounced from side-to-side like a prizefighter poised to enter the ring, overflowing with warm gestures as he greeted all who approached.

The man is Darren Brown, a record-setting distance runner and founder of Knoxville Track Club’s RunKNOX, a program aimed at training everyone from the most inexperienced runner to the seasoned marathoner. Read More